Decorative Arts in Germany and F^anc^t 378 



tion Mon. Vauchelet, to whom two of the rooms have been 

 entrusted. In one he has painted, on pilasters of polished 

 white Scagliola, a series of exquisitely designed arabesques ; 

 his subject is continued in the frieze and terminated on the 

 ceiling ; the other rooms are appropriately and magnificently 

 decorated also. In this building we have an instance of well- 

 directed municipal patronage of art ; and a number of churches 

 exhibit, at the same time, instances of the munificent patron- 

 age of the worthy magistracy of Paris. 



In the Chambre des Pairs, and in that Des Deputes, and 

 in a number of churches and public buildings, we see the re- 

 sults of the efforts of the French Government. At Fontain- 

 bleau, Versailles, and in the Louvre (and I daresay elsewhere), 

 may be seen a prodigious number of works of art executed by 

 order of his Majesty the King of the French. To give you 

 some idea of the extent of the works carried on at Versailles, 

 I may mention that I was shewn by my friend. Monsieur 

 Neveu, the king's architect, 60 large portfolios of the draw- 

 ings for the works now in progress. 



I have endeavoured to shew you, in these brief observa- 

 tions on German and on French art, what are the true causes 

 of the superiority of these nations in the decorative arts. 



It must be perfectly evident to you that palaces painted by 

 accomplished artists, must be in better taste, better done, and 

 far more complete and interesting, than those like ours, in 

 which, after the architect has closed his labours, the house- 

 painter and upholsterer alone are consulted. This is so evident, 

 that I need not detain you further with many arguments on this 

 portion of my subject. 



But our neighbours go farther in this decorative employ- 

 ment of artists. I saw one of the most able of the Parisian 

 artists designing ornamental tapestries for the palace, to be 

 executed at the Gobelins. You will remember that Raphael 

 did the same, and our finest possession are some of the car- 

 toons which he prepared for such a purpose. 



The works of artists are, in fine, the very sources from which 

 all our decorative artists draw their examples, and their 

 jumbles are chiefly made up, from the arabesques of the Vati- 



